Bad Idea #10 "Everyone hates nuclear" with Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow

🔍 Episode Summary:

In this revealing and deeply reflective conversation, Mark Lynas sits down with journalist and essayist Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow, whose new book Atomic Dreams dives into the unexpected rise of climate-conscious pro-nuclear activism.

They explore the cultural and political history of nuclear power in the United States, the generational shift in attitudes, and the motley crew of environmentalists, influencers, policy wonks and iconoclasts who make up the new pro-nuclear movement. From Diablo Canyon to Pandora’s Promise, from James Hansen to Mothers for Nuclear, this episode is a journey through energy tribalism, climate urgency, and the evolving story of what it means to be an environmentalist.

🧠 Topics Discussed:

• ☢️ Why nuclear energy has always been a cultural lightning rod
  

• 🌍 How climate change changed minds — including Rebecca’s
  

• 📚 What Rebecca learned while researching Atomic Dreams
  

• 👩‍👧‍👦 The unexpected story of Mothers for Nuclear
  

• 🧠 Conversion stories: what turns anti-nuclear people pro?
  

• 💥 The legacy of anti-nuclear protest movements in the US
  

• 🔥 The fascination (and frustration) of figures like Michael Shellenberger
  

• 🎞️ The influence of Pandora’s Promise and the rise of "nuclear celebrities"
  

• 🧪 Radiation fears, hormesis, and scientific uncertainty
  

• 🇺🇸 Why nuclear hasn't been dragged into America’s culture wars (yet)
  

• 🏞️ Indigenous perspectives and land justice at Diablo Canyon
  

• 💸 The political shift in DC and the growing bipartisan support for nuclear
  

• ⚛️ Advanced reactors, thorium dreams, and the internal divisions of the pro-nuclear tribe
  

👩‍🏫 Guest Bio:

Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow's work has appeared in The Nation, Dissent, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and many others. Her new book, Atomic Dreams: The New Nuclear Evangelists and the Fight for the Future of Energy (out April 8, 2025), explores the people, politics, and passions behind the return of the nuclear energy debate in the age of climate crisis.

📚 Recommended Reading & Resources:

• https://www.rebeccatuhusdubrow.net

• Atomic Dreams – Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow (Penguin Random House)

• The Death of Environmentalism – Nordhaus & Shellenberger (PDF)

• Whole Earth Discipline – Stewart Brand (2009)

• Pandora’s Promise – Documentary Film (2013)

• Mothers for Nuclear

• Stand Up for Nuclear

• James Hansen’s testimony to the US Senate (1988)
  

💬 Quote Highlights:

“If we trust Hansen on the science of climate change, maybe we should listen when he says nuclear needs to be part of the solution.” — Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow

“The people in this movement aren’t all engineers — some of them are hippies, mothers, influencers, even ex-models.” — Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow

“I came to see the pro-nuclear world as a tribe of its own, with factions, language, and competing visions.” — Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow

“You can’t just get off fossil fuels without causing massive human suffering. That’s the reality that changed my mind.” — Mark Lynas

“The strange thing is, nuclear power hasn’t yet become a culture war issue in the US — and that might be its saving grace.” — Mark Lynas

🌐 About WePlanet:

WePlanet is a global citizen and science movement promoting bold, science-based solutions for climate, nature, and human prosperity. We challenge bad ideas and elevate the best ones. Learn more at weplanet.org.

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